Sacrifices
by XxBeauty-Xx-Of-xX-EternityxX
Summary: Tod comes to Kaylee with some surprising news. A seemingly normal day turns into a tragic disaster that changes Kaylee's life forever. Taylee!  DISCLAIMER- I don't own the Soul Screamers series!
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Yeah, so I was pretty bored, and decided to make another soul screamers fanfiction. The first chapter's a little short... But I hope you enjoy! **

Kaylee's POV.

When I woke up this morning, I was looking forward to finally having a day that didn't involve anything _bean sidhe _related.

The past few months had been so complicated. But now that it was all over, I was hoping I'd finally be able to live a normal life. Or, as normal as a _bean sidhe's _life could get, anyways.

Okay, well I knew that wasn't possible. But I was mostly just glad that I made it this far, and got out alive. Or so I thought.

But this...?

_This _is something that I never saw coming.

Something I never even considerred.

Something that literally _changed my life._

_-Flashback-  
><em>  
>This morning began just as any normal day would. After waking up, I brushed my teeth, took a shower, and got dressed. My dad and Alec were already at work, so I had the whole house to myself, and the whole day to do whatever I wanted. I sat on my bed, contemplating what to do, when Tod appeared beside me. I practicaly jumped out of my own skin.<p>

He was usually pretty good at hiding his emotions. But not this time. His eyes were frantically swirling with so many different colours that it made me dizzy. Some of them I couldn't read, but others were obvious. disbelief and nervousness were the most noticable, but I could also easily tell that he was angry, frightened, and just simply sad.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused. I'd never seen Tod act like this before.

It took him a few minutes to pull himself together before he could actually look at me.

"Kaylee, it's your dad..." he responded shakily.

"What about my dad?" I asked after a short pause.

"He... He's in the hospital." He slowly stated, closely watching me for my reaction.

"What! How?" I asked wide-eyed. As in, how did I not know that my dad's in the hospital?

"There was an accident at his work... one of the machines broke, and a giant peice of metal landed right on top of him. Completely crushed his rib cage..." His voice was shaky, which was unlike Tod.

"What? No! That couldn't of happened!" He flinched, and I realized I was yelling. "I would have heard." I added weakly.

"Kaylee... You're hearing it now. Im so sorry..."

"Tod, you better not be screwing with me!" I spat out, secretly hoping he was.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this, Kaylee." He said sadly.

The tears that I'd been desperately trying to hold back now began falling. After a few seconds of watching me,Tod awkwardly leaned over and brushed the hair out of my eyes. I moved closer, burrying my tear stained face into his chest, and was surprised when he wrapped his arms around me instead of dissapearing into thin air. It was comforting having him so close. He whispered over and over, "I'm sorry, Kaylee. It's going to be all right."

"Is he okay?" I managed to ask between sobs, pulling myself away from the reaper, and wiping my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

"I think you should go visit him while you still have the chance." He said, obviously avoiding my question. He looked away, unable to make eye contact with me.

"What do you mean, 'While I still have the chance'?" I asked in disbelief, starring at him through soggy eyes.

"Kaylee... Im really sorry..." Tod whispered as tears of his own formed in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away, and when he looked back down at me, his face was dead serious.

"Tod...?" I asked, uncertainly.

"Kaylee... Your dad's on my list."

**Hope you guys liked it so far! Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts. **


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Hey guys... Here's the next chapter! I was kind of hoping for more reviews before I posted this, but that's fine. Enjoy!**

There was a long pause before I spoke.

"Wait, my dad..." I began, confused, and unsure of what to say.

It took me a while to understand what Tod meant, but a few seconds later realization hit me like a brick to the face. My eyes went wide, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I sat there, frozen. Unable to think or say anything. I couldn't form one solid thought in my head, and I jumped when I felt Tod place his hand on my shoulder.

"Kaylee...?" He whispered cautiously, as if the one word might cause me to shatter into a million tiny pieces.

"My dad's going to die?" It was more of a statement than a question, and I didn't expect a real response, though I got one anyways.

"Yes." Tod replied, looking up at the ceiling.

Fresh tears formed in my already wet eyes, and I cupped my face in my hands. I fell back onto my bed and I stared at the ceiling through blurred vision.

"When?" I asked through sobs.

"What?" Tod replied, obviously not understanding the question.

"W-what time is he schedualed for?" I asked, referring to the reapers list that states who, when, and where people are going to die.

There was a long pause before he answered.

"Tomorrow night..." He said quietly, falling back to lay beside me.

We both stayed silent for a few minutes. It took me a while to pull myself together and slow my breathing, but my tears kept falling. I sniffled and wiped my eyes before turning to Tod.

"C-can I go see him then?" I pleaded, and he responded with a small nod.

I got up and started for the door, but paused to look back when I realized Tod wasn't following me.

"You coming?" I asked, sniffling again.

He got up, but instead of following me through the door, he reached out and grabbbed my hand. I looked down at our intertwined fingers, then back up at Tod. He had a mischevous grin plastered to his face, and seconds later I got a strange tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. I closed my eyes and moments later, I opened them to find myself standing in the hospital parking lot, still clinging to Tod's hand.

As soon as the sickening feeling went away, I dropped his hand and angrily turned to walk towards the building.

"Kaylee! Wait up!" Tod called from behind me, which only made me walk faster. He appeared beside me, keeping up his pace. "What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

I stopped walking, and he turned to me, frowning. "Why do you suddenly think that you can blink me out whenever you feel like it! You may be used to it, but i'm not, and I hate being dragged around with no say like a freaking rag doll!" I shouted, starting to walk away. He grabbed my hand once again, and I spun around, shaking myself from his grip.

"Kay, I'm sorry." He said softly, "I did this so you can see your dad sooner. I didn't do it to piss you off." My face lightened the slightest bit, and I suddenly felt stupid for yelling at him. Tod smiled. "Although, you are cute when your mad." He added, laughing.

"Oh shut up," I joked, feeling bad about my outburst. We continued walking to the hospital in silence, and when we made it to the front doors, I stopped. Tod turned to me with a questioning look on his face.

"What is it?" He asked, confused.

"Sorry..." I said, looking down at my shoes. "I didn't mean to get so mad, it's just... The news was upsetting, and I'm not in my best mood..." I added, unsure of what else to say.

"Don't worry about it." Tod responded, giving me a sympathetic look. "I understand." He opened the door, and I followed him inside. He managed to get us both up to the second floor without being seen, and we found the room my father was staying in. I peeked through the window, and saw him laying down on a small white bed, his upper half completely wrapped in gauze. Alec sat at the other side of the room, quietly reading a book.

"I got it," Tod whispered, and walked through the door. It was clear that he was only visable to me at the moment. I heard a click and the door unlocked. Both my dad and Alec turned to check who was coming, and as soon as I stepped in a smile crept across my father's face.

"Kaylee." He mutterd, although it was clear he was exhausted and had difficulty talking. I walked over and lightly took his hand into mine. Hot tears prickled in my eyes at seeing my father like this. He looked happy to see me though. "How'd you get in?" He asked, confused. Though his expression turned to annoyance when Tod appeared beside me.

"Surprise!" He whispered.

"Oh, you're here." My father responded, narrow eyed. I rolled my eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"I'll be fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me." My tears started falling, and Tod came to sit next to me. He lightly placed his arm around my waist, more for comfort than anything else, but he quickly removed it when my father stopped to glare at him.

"Kaylee, what's wrong?" My dad asked, confused by my sudden tears. "You don't have to worry. I'm fine." My tears fell harder, and all I could do was uselessly wipe at them with my arm. Tod stared sadly between me and my father.

"T-Tod... We have to tell him." I sobbed. "It's not fair! H-he has the right to know." I sniffled, and squeezed my dad's hand.

"You're right..." Tod responded, surprising me by how fast he agreed. "I'll leave you two alone for a while." He added, and disappeared into thin air.

"Kaylee, what's going on?" My father asked slowly.

I wiped away my tears, and looked at my him sadly. "Dad... Tod told me what happened this morning, and... I don't even know how to tell you this... But,"

He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I continied. "Tod told me that you're on his list..." I sobbed, covering my face with my hands, although my father didn't look too surprised.

"Well, that is a surprise." He stated, in a solid tone.

"What?" I asked looking up. "How are you so calm!" I asked, seriously confused now.

"Kay, I've been alive for 148 years. If it's my time to go, then I'm not going to complain about it."

"But dad! I've already lost mom. I don't want to lose you too! You just came back!" I cried, astonished at how this conversation played out.

I saw tears sparkling in my fathers eyes, and I automatically felt bad about bringing my mother up. The last thing I wanted was for him to think this was his fault. "I'm sorry dad... I just don't want to lose you!"

"I know, sweetie. But some things in life you just have to accept. If it's my time to go, I can't do anything to change that,"

I started to cry again, and he patted my back for comfort. "Things will be alright. Don't worry. You're a strong girl, and I'm sure you don't need your old man around telling you what to do. You'll finally get the freedom I know you deserve." This statement just made my tears fall faster. "When am I due?" He asked, curiously.

I took a few moments to dry my eyes before I answered. "Tomorrow night." I said sadly.

"Wow. Sooner than I expected." He replied, but didn't sound all that concerned. Then, as if right on que, the nurse walked in.

"What are you doing here? There's no visitors allowed until 5:00. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She stated, clearly annoyed. I got up, and let go of my dad's hand.

"I love you..." I wispered. As I started to walk away, I barely made out my fathers voice from behind me.

"I love you too, sweetie."

**Did you like the chapter? Review please! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Hey guys, I know this is another pretty short chapter... So I'm really sorry about that. But I think my fast updates make up for that. I'm trying to post a new chapter everyday. ****Anyways, enjoy the next chapter! And please revieww! :D**

I made my way down the hospital hallway, not even bothering to listen when a nurse stopped to lecture me about visiting hours.

As soon as I was out of the building, I leaned against the wall, sliding down the smooth stone. I hugged my knees to my chest, and once again I began to cry. I stayed there for what seemed like hours, replaying every moment in my mind since I woke up. I let the breeze whip my hair around as I listened to the soft humming of cars and birds singing in the distance.

"You alright?" The reaper's voice was startling in the silence, causing me to flinch. I accidentaly smashed my elbow against the cold bricks, and groaned in pain.

"God damnit Tod! Stop that!" I said, sniffling away what was left of my tears.

He took my hand into his, which earned him a weary glance from me.

"Don't worry," He said chuckling. "We're staying right here." I smiled sadly and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Right here." I repeated, closing my eyes. Tod leaned his head against mine, and we sat like that for a couple of minutes.

He was acting wierd today. Surprisingly nice, actually. Really un-Tod-like. But to be honest, I liked this side of him. I was always surprised by how perfectly our fingers fit together, and how nice his hand felt against mine. Most of all though, what always surprised me was how _warm _he was. That was one thing I could never get used to. You'd think a dead person would be ice cold, but that definately wasn't the case with Tod.

Then, something popped into my head, instantly making me feel guilty. _I should go talk to Nash... _As the thought sank in, I began to feel more and more uncomfortable sitting here with Tod. I suddenly let go of his hand and began to stand up.

"We should go..." I stated, ignoring the confused look on his face.

I admit it... Without Tod, I probably wouldn't be able to get through this all. Though I did feel a little guilty in finding comfort with him when technically, Nash was my boyfriend. That's why I stood and dusted off my jeans. I began to walk off towards the parking lot, but Tod quickly caught up with me. He sighed. "Your car isn't here, remember?"

I spun around to look at him, although his reflexes obviously weren't the best. He walked right into me, and the next thing I knew I was back first on the hard pavement, Tod propped on his arms above me. My head was throbbing, and there was a sharp pain in my right elbow. I suddenly felt really tired. We stared at eachother for the longest time before he rolled over to lay down beside me.

I started laughing. I burst out in to hysterical giggles, and I couldn't stop. Nothing in particular was very funny, it was just the whole situation in general. It was probably one of the least appropriate times for laughter, but for some reason I couldn't help myself. Then, Tod also burst out laughing. I don't know exactly how long we lay there on the edge of the parking lot, but it was a long time.

When we finally stopped laughing, we just lay there, talking. Until suddenly, a serious look crossed Tod's features. I realized he was staring at my arm.

"What?" I asked, giggling.

"Kaylee, what happened to you!" Tod asked, eyes wide with horror.

I looked down at my arm, and had a similar reaction. Thin streaks of red liquid we're quickly dripping down my forearm. "Shit!" I murmered, as I sat up. There was a huge cut just under my elbow, where I had smashed it against the wall. I'd aparently also scraped it up when I fell on the pavement. Normally I would have pushed it aside, not really caring if I was bleeding, but this cut was big and deep. And it was bleeding a _lot._ The actual cut was around three inches long, but there was blood everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean _everywhere. _I was surprised it had gone unnoticed until now.

"Kay, are you alright? I can take you back into the hospital..." Tod offered, genuinely scared and concerned.

"Uhmm... I think I'll be fine..." I heard my own voice trail off, and suddenly, everything sounded so distant. Tod was saying something, but I couldn't make out what it was. It was like I was watching everything from outside my body. I suddenly felt really nauseous and tired. My head started pounding, and the last thing I saw was Tod carrying me in his arms towards the hospital. Then, I blacked out.

**I really hope you all liked this chapter! It took me a long time to write, because I kept getting distracted... Anyways, review please. Spare a few minutes of your time for me? All you have to do is click that little review button below. Yeah, it's taunting you, isn't it? ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N) Just to make this clear, this Fanfiction was never really meant to be written as if it's after a certan book. It's just random, I guess.**

**Just to give you all a little detail though, Nash and Kaylee are dating, and Sabine is still in the picture as Nash's best friend. I guess that's all you need to know, really. So enjoy the new chapter!**

When I woke up, I found myself laying on an uncomfortable white bed in one of the many hospital rooms. Tod was sitting on the edge, desperately clinging to my hand. I slightly stirred, and he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed my eyes were open.

"Kaylee, you're alright!" He exclaimed joyfully. "You've been passed out for hours."

"Hours?" I asked, my voice deep and rough. My throat was dry, and it hurt to even swallow.

"I'll go get some water." Tod announced, as if reading my mind.

"Wait," I whispered, reaching out for his wrist. My hand went right through him, and I groaned. I looked down at my arm, where I now saw my cut had been closed up and freshly stiched. It hurt like hell.

"What is it?" He asked, sitting back down on the bed. "And don't move your arm to much. You'll tear the stitches." He scolded.

"I... I want you to stay here." I sheepishly responded, looking down at my hands.

"Wow, did you hit your head too?" He chuckled, leaning back against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. "Don't worry, I'll be right back. But for now, you need water more than you need me."

I scowled at him. "Not true. Just stay... Please?" I begged. "Water can wait. I don't want to be alone right now." I whispered.

Tod laughed softly, but I knew he was glad that I wanted him around.

"Fine, I'll stay for a bit. But just to let you know, I'm missing work for this."

I propped myself up on my good elbow and starred at Tod. "You're going to get yourself fired, you know."

He shrugged it off. "Whatever. I'm not going to get fired. I'm Levi's favorite." He stated proudly. "Plus, I never leave without making sure someone's taken over my shift."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Sure." I responded sarcastically. My face turned to confusion. "Where's Nash?" I added, and saw annoyance flash over Tod's features. Then his expression softened, and he looked away from me.

"Somewhere with Sabine. He never answered his cell, so if he's not with you then I'm guessing he's with her."

"Really...?" I growled. "He's with _her _again?"

"Woah, woah, Kaylee. A little jealous there?" He asked, chuckling. "Don't worry. I left a voicemail. He should be here soon. You know... He'd pretty much do anyting for you, right?"

"I guess so..." My voice trailed off. I looked back down at my hands, my face suddenly turning grim. Truth is, I was jealous of Sabine. I'd finally accepted the fact that her and Nash were friends, actually _best _friends... But, I still think he spends a little too much time with her for them to be considered _just _friends.

Tod put a finger under my chin and tilted my head to face him. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. _Yes, he was acting _very _un-Tod like today._I thought to myself.

For a second, I sat there frozen. Lost in the faint swirling of his eyes. The mesmorizing blues and greens that he could never completely control. A small smile played across his lips, and he backed away a few inches. "Earth to Kaylee..." He joked, snapping his fingers in my face.

"S-sorry..." I stuttered, feeling a little embarrased.

"You're acting different today. Really unlike yourself." He muttered, looking at me. He seemed lost in thought.

"Me? You're acting different! You're like the opposite of yourself today." I laughed, sitting all the way up.

"I'm not acting different... You've just never seen the real me. I'm really good at hiding my thoughts, you know." He said, sounding pretty proud of the fact.

"Oh trust me. I know that." I said giggling. Did they by any chance inject me with meds? Cause suddenly, I felt really giggly. "Why don't you show me the _real _you then? Right now. I want to know what you're like when you're not hiding all of your emotions. " I bit my lip, smiling.

Tod hesitated for a while before answering me, and even when he spoke, he seemed uncertain. "Are you sure...?" He asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Yes, I'm sure." I laughed. "Did I not make that clear?" Yeah, I was deffinately on some kind of painkiller, because this was not regular Kaylee behaviour. Tod muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't quite make it out.

"Fine." He said louder, his face still serious. He stared at me for a few seconds, as if he were mentally fighting with wether or not he should tell me. Or _show me _as I should say, because seconds later, he leaned towards me, sliding his arm around my waist. He tilted his head down and I realized at that moment that he was about to kiss me. The stangest thing though, is that I let him. I didn't attempt to push him away, or wiggle out of his grip. Instead, I tilted my head back, and let him continue. I blame it on the meds.

Seconds before our lips even touched, we heard someone clear their throat from across the room. Tod and I immediately broke apart, and stared at where the noise came from. I could instantly feel myself blushing bright red. The door was wide open, and Nash stood in the frame, arms crossed over his chest.

"Am I interrupting something?" He growled, eyebrows raised. He had an angry look plastered on his face, and I knew at that moment that I was screwed beyond belief.

**I hope you all liked it! on reading! And, don't forget to review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N) Hey guys... Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it. **

"Actually," Tod began, flushing almost as red as me. "I was just leaving..."

"Sure seems like it." Nash angrily responded, looking between us. "Either of you care to explain?"

Tod began to speak, but Nash cut him off. "Never mind. You, shut up." He growled, turning to me. "Kaylee, explain." He demanded, annoyed.

"I... Uhmm... Well, there isn't much to explain, really..."

"You were kissing my brother, Kaylee! How can you _not _have anything to say to that?"

"Technically, I was _almost _kissing your brother..." I corrected innocently. "Nothing happened."

"I sure as hell hope not. That doesn't make it any better though. I'm giving you one more chance. Explain what the hell was going on here."

"Fine, Nash. It's my fault. Is that what you want to hear? I let him _almost_ kiss me. I didn't try to stop him, or pull away. Does _that _change anything?"

His expression turned to surprise and confusion. That was obviously not what he was expecting to hear. Tod stepped away from the wall, joining the conversation.

I hadn't even realized he was still standing there. I figured he vanished shortly after Nash showed up.

"Kaylee stop it." He groaned, obviously embarassed. "This isn't you fault, it's mine. I was stupid and careless. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you in the first place. I wasn't thinking straight after what happened."

"Tod... It's neither of our faults. Just leave it at that."

Nash jumped back into the conversation, angrier than ever. "It's _both _of your faults! Can we leave it at that? Tod, you tried to kiss her. Kaylee, you let him kiss you!"

"Almost kiss me." I interupted.

"Whatever! Point is, you're both at fault here! Am I the only one who sees that?"

"I agree with you..." Came a new voice from outside the room. Sabine stepped in, squeezing through the door and standing beside Nash.

I felt my anger spike, and suddenly I felt like punching someone. _Sabine to be exact._

"What the hell is _she _doing here!" I shouted, glaring at Nash.

"I was hanging out with her. I wasn't just going to ditch, so I brought her along." He shrugged, but still had an angry expression on his face.

"And what exactly were you two doing before you came here?" I questioned narrow eyed.

Sabine answered before Nash could stop her. "Oh, we were just fooling around in bed. You know, the usual stuff we do when you're not around." She smirked.

That was it. Sabine was known for intimidating me... But this time, she'd gone too far. Whether she was joking or telling the truth, I don't think it mattered. Because once I'm in a bad mood, its hard to say what kind of stupid things I'm going to do. And the next thing I knew, I was getting up from the bed marching towards her.

"Kaylee!" I heard Tod shout from behind me, but it was too late. I was already standing in front of her. She still had that annoying grin on her face, which just made me angrier. Before anyone could realize what I was about to do, I raised my good arm and quickly swung it forward, slapping her as hard as I could. Her face flung to the side, and she stumbled backwards at the impact. My hand was stinging, but I was sure her face hurt much more. The thought made me smile.

Nash stood there, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. Tod quickly jumped in between us, just as Sabine launched herself towards me. I shreiked, grabbing on to Tod's arm and trying to pull him back, although he wouldn't budge. She ran right into him, knocking them both on to the floor. They stood and Sabine looked at me, practically steaming with rage. Tod quickly made his way over to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Do I have permission to blink you out of _this_?" He asked, jokingly.

"Yes!" I shreiked, holding out my hand for him. He quickly took it, and just before Sabine's fist made contact with my face, we re-apeared in my room. "Thank god that's over..." I murmered, jumping on to my bed. "I'm hungry, though." I pouted, looking at my clock. It was a little past four thirty, and I hadn't eaten since the night before.

Man this day had meen messed up. First, I woke up to the news that my father only has a couple of days left to live. Then, I end up in the hospital, needing stitches in my arm. Tod almost _kissed _me_, _and now my boyfriend and I were temporarily in a huge fight.

_This day just keeps getting better and better. _I sarcastically thought to myself.

"Let's go!" Tod said, practically skipping to my door.

"To where?" I asked, suddenly confused.

"To get a pizza! Duh." He said rolling his eyes. I felt a smile creep it's way on to my face, and I gladly followed him out my front door, and into my car. The street was completely empty, so I sped up a little, desperately wanting to get to the pizza shop faster.

"Kaylee, slow down..." Tod said, in an almost panicked voice.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slowing the car down.

His expression was pained as he looked at me, and there was a pause before he answered. "It's nothing..." He said quietly, as if he were trying to convince himself rather than me.

I dropped the subject. _for now. _

We made it to the pizza parlour, and ordered a medium pepperoni with extra cheese and two pops.

"Mmmm!" I dramatically moaned as I sat down and took the first bite of the pizza. Tod laughed at me, taking a slice of his own. We ate half of the pizza in silence, before I asked a question that'd been bugging me since the moment I met him.

"Tod..." I began, looking down at my pizza slice. "Do you mind if I ask you something? It's kind of personal, so you don't really have to answer, but I'm just curious..."

"Uhmm... Sure, Kay. Go ahead." He responded after a moments hesitation.

"Well, uhh, I was just curious as to how you.. Well... how you died... " I whispered the last part, suddenly reconsidering whether I should have asked. His face suddenly turned grim, as if he were replaying horrible memories in his head. He probably was. After a while of silence, I figured he wouldn't wnswer me.

"It's alright If you don't want to answer. I was just curious."

"It's not that I don't wan't to tell you, Kay. It's just... It's hard for me to talk about. You understand, right?"

"Yeah," I said, giving him a half smile. "Nevermind. Don't worry about it."

**If any of you have read Reaper, it'll probably make these last couple scenes a lot more clear. And I'm not sure yet, but there also might be some spoilers in the next chapter. If you havn't read Reaper, or don't want he spoilers... Mention it in a review, I guess. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N) Hey! Sorry, I know I usually update faster than this, but I had a LOT of homework yesterday and I was up until past midnight doing it. I didn't have much time to write, so I couldn't post this chapter in the morning. I'm posting it now though, so enjoy!**

We finally finished eating and I walked to my car, turning to Tod questioningly when he didn't follow.

"Coming?" I asked in confusion.

"Actually, I'll meet up with you later. I think I'm going to go apologize to Nash." He responded, not making eye contact with me.

I blushed at the memory of what happened in the hospital, but I didn't mention anything.

"Oh... Well, can I come with you?" I asked. "I kind of wanted to talk to him too..."

"Sure." He replied, getting into the passenger seat.

It was already beginning to get dark when we arrived at the house. There were no cars on the driveway, so I figured his mom was out. Just as I was about to knock, Tod stopped me.

"Why wait for him to answer?" He whispered, chuckling. The next moment, he was gone and the door was opening for the inside, barely even making a sound.

I rolled my eyes and stepped in. I followed Tod to Nash's room, and the scene playing out before our eyes was too much for me to handle. Sabine had Nash pressed up against one of the walls, kissing him hungrily. She was tugging at his hair, pressing herself closer. His hands roamed her body freely, exploring each and every one of her non-existant curves. The worst part though, was that he was kissing her back.

I gasped, Nash and Sabine both pulling away from each other to stare at me. Nash looked horrified, whereas Sabine had an evil smile playing on her lips that pretty much screamed 'Take that, bitch.' Hot tears prickled in my eyes, and I quickly ran out of the house. I got in my car and sat there for a while, aware of the fact that I couldn't drive through blurred vision. Tod appeared in the passenger seat shortly after.

"leave me alone." I pouted, sobbing into my hands.

"Kaylee..." He started, but I cut him off.

"I said, leave me alone!" I said louder, startling Tod. A hurt look crossed his face, but instantly vanished and was replaced by one of agitation.

"Fine. Whatever." He started, leaning away so he could look me in the eye. "And just to let you know Kaylee, everything I did today was for you. I told you about your dad, because I didn't want you to have to find out at the last minute and not get a chance to say a proper goodbye. I went with you to the hospital because I knew you were having a rough day, and I didn't want you to be alone. You scared me to death when you passed out on the side of the parking lot. I brought you in and stayed with you the whole time because I _care about you. _I came out here to tell you that I'm sorry. Sorry that I had to be the one to tell you about your dad. Sorry that I snuck up on you and made you smash your elbow. Sorry about the whole thing that happened in the hospital. Sorry that my brother's such an ass. I came out here to tell you that I'm sorry about _everything, _and all you do is yell at me."

"Tod..." I pleaded desperately. "I'm sorry." My tears fell harder than ever, and that was all I could manage to choke out. He was right. All he was doing is being nice, and i repaid him by being a bitch. I reached over to take his hand, but he pulled away.

"No Kaylee. I'm sorry. I should have never came out here. I should have never done any of the things I did. If I could re-due everything that happened today, from the moment I showed up at your house... Believe me, I would."

"I never meant to..." I choked out, but it was too late. Tod had disappeared from the passenger seat. I sat there all by myself, crying harder than I ever had before. Tod was really important to me, and he's been a big part of my life for quite some time now. He's always there when I need him, and I know that I can trust him with pretty much anything. He was closer than a best friend to me, and I may have just ruined everything. For once in my life, I literally had no one.

**I know... Another short chapter. Sorry about that, but I had a case of writer's block, and thought this was a good chapter ender. I swear, I almost made _myself _cry when I read over this scene! xD  
>Well, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and please review! I love to hear your opinions!<br>And, I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N) Sorry for the late update! Alright, so I had a really bad case of writers block again... So sorry about that. But at least it's long, right? Whatever... Read on and enjoy!**

When I finally managed to dry my tears, I decided to drive to the hospital rather than back to my house. When I arrived, it was just past 7:30 and my first priority was to go check on my dad.

I walked up to the front desk, politely asking the lady when visiting hours finished. She said they were supposed to end in less than a half hour, but after I told her about my dad she handed me a small slip of paper, which stated that I could stay an extra hour. I thanked her, making my way to the room my father was staying in.

I saw his face brighten when I walked in, and he gave me a small smile.

"I figured you weren't going to come." He said after a little while.

"Yeah... Sorry, I kind of missed visiting hours." I said apologeticaly, holding out the small piece of paper and letting him read it.

He chuckled, but immediately clutched at his ribs in pain.

I sat on the bed next to him, taking his hand just like I had before. We were mostly silent, except for me occasionaly asking how he was feeling. The answer was always the same. "Terrible." At least he was honest though...

Before I knew it, the lady from the front desk was walking into the room, telling me my hour was up and that it was time for me to leave. She said it politely, but still had an apologetic expression on her face. She left me and my father to say goodbye, and soon enough I was walking down the empty hospital hallways.

I wasn't ready to go home yet though. Not without apologizing to Tod. So I spent the next hour wondering around the empty hallways, purposely avoiding all nurses and doctors. When I was sure I was completely alone, I'd whisper his name, hoping he'd hear me and show up. I knew it was unlikely, but I had to try, right? After a while I began to get tired and decided my search would have to wait until tomorrow.

I made my way to the front of the hospital. The lady at the front desk had her back turned to me and she was focused on her computer screen. I figured that would be my best chance to sneak out unseen, so I quickly ran to the door being as quiet as possible. I pushed the door open silently, and stepped outside.

I parked pretty far from the actual building, so I'd have to do some walking. The air was chilled, and sent goose bumps up my exposed arms. I hugged myself, trying to keep warm. Then I realized that it was practically pitch black outside, and I could barely even make out my car which was a few yards away. The street lamps cast shadows along the side of the building, giving the space an eerie feeling. The sky was filled with thick grey clouds that dimmed the moonlight and made the stars barely visable.

I began to walk towards the parking lot, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a figure shift in the shadows from the corner of my eye. I spun around to get a better view, but all I could see was the outline of a person standing there.

"Tod...?" I whispered uncertainly.

The man stepped out from the shadows, revealing a man I had never seen before. The street lamp illuminated his features, giving me a good look at him. He had sandy brown hair, and peircing green eyes. He had a large build, and wore a shirt that was just tight enough to show off his muscles. Before I knew what was happening, the man began walking towards me, hands in his jean pockets. There was something about him though. Something that scared the crap out of me.

I turned back around, walking faster and faster towards my car. Until suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist and spun me around. I gasped, eyes wide with terror as I reconized the shadow guy standing in front of me.

"What's a pretty young girl such as yourself doing out here all by herself at night?" He purred, leaning closer.

I tried to pull my wrist from his grip, but failed miserably. He was stronger than I expected. I groaned in pain as he dug his nails into my arm, tightening his grip.

He brought his face closer, whisperring in my ear. "Not everyone out here's a good guy, you know. Why don't you come back to my place with me, and I'll teach you a lesson." Feeling his breath against my neck sent shivers of horror down my spine. I tried once more to pull free from his grip, but didn't suceed. "Things will be a lot less painful if you just co-operate." He said, brushing his lips against my cheek, and tightening his grip on my arm once again. I swear I could feel his sharp fingernails piercing my skin.

I shivered, and he pulled away for a mere second before crashing his lips against mine. He placed his free hand on my waist, slowly moving it upwards, underneath my thin shirt. I squirmed in his grip, which only suceeded in making him pull me closer. I leaned backwards, trying to move my face away from his. He finally pulled away, gasping for air.

I took my free hand and tried to slap him, but he grabbed my forearm before I made contact with his face. His fingers landed right where my stitches were, and I screamed in pain.

"Shut the hell up!" He growled, pushing me up against a nearby pole. My shoulder smashed into the cold metal and I gasped at the contact. All the man did was laugh and pin both my hands above my head.

"Stop it!" I shouted uselessly. I felt vaunerable under his grip, and I hated it. Too soon, he once again pressed his mouth to mine, kissing me hungrily. He moved his hand up my thigh, stopping at my waist. He pulled my shirt up and began roaming my bare stomach with his free hand. His cold fingers danced around my skin, causing me to shiver. He made his way down to the waistline of my jeans. I yelped and once again tried to wiggle away. Of course, it didn't work, so instead I brought my knee up as hard as I could, crashing it inbetween his legs. He yelled out, hunching over in pain. In the process he let go of my hands and I made a run for it.

Soon enough though, a strong hand crashed onto my shoulder, causing me to flinch. I spun around and saw two angry green eyes staring back at me.

_What the hell...? _I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts when his cold hand collided with my bare cheek. The bastard slapped me. _Hard. _My face flung to the side, and I screamed in agony. He then grabbed a chunck of my hair, and proceeded to pull me over to a nearby wall. He smashed me against it, my back screaming in protest.

"Did you really think you could get away from me?" He growled, pushing me harder against the wall.

"Ouch!" I yelled, causing his grip on my shoulder to tighten.

"Now, where did we leave off?" He asked sarcastically. I felt defeated, slouching against the wall suddenly unable to find the strength to stand. He pushed me back up. "Oh yeah, I remember now. " He said menacingly. Then, he began trailing rough kisses down my neck to my collar bone. I squirmed as he pulled my neckline down.

I heard a loud crash, and suddenly his body became rigid. He fell to the floor without warning, leaving me standing there gasping for air, eyes wet with tears. Although, there was someone else standing there behind the limp body. It was someone I knew very well.

"Tod... I-I'm so s-sorry..." I whispered with all the energy I had left in me. Then, I collapsed to the floor, unable to stand any longer. He asked if I was okay, but all I could manage to do was shake my head and let my tears fall. He gently lifted me from the ground, being careful not to cause too much pain. He carried me all the way to my car, and lay me down in the backseat. He sat next to me, and I lay my head on his lap as he brushed hair from my face. "It'll be all right." He whispered just before I fell asleep.

**Yeah, I know. It's not one of my best chapters. I blame it on writers block though. I already know what the next chapter's going to be like, so I should have it posted soon. Sometime later on maybe. Review please! **


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N) Another long chapter! Enjoy!**

I woke up a while later, realizing I was still laying on Tod's lap. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady so I figured he was asleep. I tried to sit up several times, but all I managed was causing more pain to myself. The recent events now felt like nothing but a dream, though I knew very well it was all real. Every second played on and on in my mind, tormenting me with the things that happened in the past few hours.

I finally managed to pull myself up from Tod's lap, softly groaning in pain when my shoulder hit the seat. Apparently he was a light sleeper, because his eyes gently opened, and he turned his head to look at me. It was still dark outside, so I doubted he could actually see what state I was in. I painfully checked my watch, which read just after 11:15.

"Kay, are you alright?" Tod asked, turning more so he could look me in the eye.

"Deffinately not..." I responded with a small laugh, though I didn't really find it funny. It was the truth. I felt _terrible. _

"Let's get you back to your house. Do you think you can drive now?"

"Yeah... I should be fine." I sleepily said, trying to push open the car door. It didn't work very well. Every muscle in my body was aching, and it felt like someone was sawing into my arm when I put pressure on it.

"I've got it," Tod said getting out of the car. He walked over to my side and opened the door. I got out, softly muttering curses under my breath. I slowly walked over to the drivers side door, and yanked it open. I imediately felt the pain shoot through my body. I climbed into the seat and started the car, but every simple movement was like torture to my screaming muscles.

We drove back to the house in silence, other than my occasional painful sighs and groans.

"Maybe it'll be best if I blink us in." He said as we pulled into the driveway. "It'll probably be a lot less painful for you..."

"Just this once." I responded, secretly happy that I wouldn't have to bother with the door again. Tod took my hand and I cringed. He spat out a string of apologies and I assured him I was fine.

Moments later, we appeared in the middle of my room. I was probably the happiest girl in the world as I collapsed on to my soft, comfortable bed. Tod walked over to the door, turning on the lights. When he saw me, he froze in shock and horror. His eyes went wide, and all he could manage to do was stare.

"What?" I asked, painfully getting up and walking to the washroom. I gasped when I saw my reflection. It was a lot worse than I thought. I quickly shut the door and slowly removed my top, examaning each and every cut, bruise, scratch and scrape. There was a huge bruise stretching across my right shoulder. My head was throbbing, and I had a massive hickey on my neck. My wrist had four bloody nail marks, and my stitches were torn leaving small trails of red liquid running down my arm. My cheek was slightly red where the bastard slapped me, and I had finger shaped bruises on my waist. As I slowly turned around, I realized my whole back-side was scraped and bloody from when I was thrown against the wall.

"Shit!" I muttered a little louder than I meant to.

"What's wrong?" Tod asked worriedly from the other side of the door.

"Oh, uhmm... Nothing, it's just... Wow. I can't believe this!" I murmered.

"Can I come in?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, sure." I said without thinking. The door opened, and he walked in. Tod stared at me, eyebrows raised. Then, he blushed a bright crimson and dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Well... Next time it might help to get dressed before you let me in." He laughed.

I looked down at my half-naked body, realizing I hadn't replaced my shirt yet. "Oh..." I said, turning bright red and covering myself up with my arms. "Uhmm, sorry..." I pulled my shirt back on, nervously biting my lip.

"So, uhmm... Are you feeling alright?" He asked, looking back up at me. His face was still a little pink.

"Well... Do I look alright?" I asked, spinning around like a beaten up model.

"Not at all." He responded sadly. "What hurts?"

"Everything." I muttered, and proceeded in showing him each of my injuries. When I was finished with all the clearly visable cuts and scratches, I awkwardly lifted my shirt a little to show him the bruises on my waist. Then I lifted it a little more and spun around, giving him a clear view of my scratched up back.

I heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'I'm going to kill the bastard that did this to you...'

I laughed, pulling my shirt back down and turned back to the reaper. "It's not _that_bad..." I said reassuringly. That was obviously far from the truth.

"Where's your first aid kit?" Tod asked, stepping out of the washroom.

"Downstairs, in the top cabinet." I told him without hesitation. The next second, he was gone only to re-appear a while later holding the little white box.

He opened it up, motioning for me to sit on the bed. First, he took out the disinfectant spray. I whined in protest, but knew it had to be done. First, he sprayed it on my wrist causing me to cringe and gasp out in pain.

"Damn that stings!" I said. Tod apologized and began taking out a wet cloth. He dabbed the warm water on my wrist, washing off the dried blood. Then, he took out some bandages and placed them over each cut. When it came to the stitches, Tod sighed and I flinched as he took out an alcohol wipe and began carefully rubbing my arm. When he finished disinfecting it, he took some gauze and wrapped them around my elbow, kind of like a cast. My head was apparently bleeding from when I had my hair pulled, so he gave me an ice pack and told me to lay down.

"You should get some sleep." He said, placing the first aid kit on my dresser. He walked over to the door, and was about to turn off the light when I stopped him.

"Tod..." I whispered quietly.

"Yeah?" He paused halfway to the lightswitch.

"Could you, uhmm... Well, you know... Stay here with me... For the night?" I asked sheepishly, and he laughed.

"You want me to sleep with you?" He asked chuckling.

"Oh shut up." I responded, blushing. "You know what I mean."

After a short pause he said, "Sure, Kay. I'll stay with you." My face lit up, and I smiled happily at the reaper. He turned off the light and walked over to the bed, hesitantly sitting down.

"I don't bite, you know..." I said when he didn't move.

"I know, it's just wierd. I mean, you and my brother are... Well, whatever you guys are at the moment. He'd get pissed if he found out I stayed the night." He said hastily.

"Don't worry." I groaned. "First of all, he's not going to find out. And second, we're just friends right? He knows that. So he won't really care. That is... If I ever forgive him for what he did. And until then, we don't even have to worry about it." I assured him, moving over to make space.

He crawled into the bed beside me, leaving barely a few inches between us. I turned on my side so I could face him, looking into his eyes.

"Tod..." I whispered softly.

"Yeah?" He replied at the same volume.

"I just wanted to say sorry... About everything. I was a bitch to you when you were just trying to be nice. You were trying to help me, and all I did was give you crap. I didn't mean to..."

"Shh, Kaylee." He interrupted, putting a hand over my mouth. "Don't worry about it. I had no right to get mad at you. I know you've had a bad day and I don't blame it on you at all."

I smiled, snuggling closer to his body. I placed my head on his chest and whispered even quieter, "I'm still sorry though."

"Don't be." He responded wrapping his arms around me. I felt my eyelids become droopy and I instantly began drifting from consciousness. I fell asleep in Tod's embrace.

**Taylee ftw! I loved writing this scene! Review please! **


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N) Hey! What happened to all my wonderful reviewers? D;  
>Your reviews are what motivate me to write this fanfiction! I'm going to be extremely sad if you all stop giving your opinions, because I'm going to think you don't like the story. Then, I'm not going to want to continue it.<br>Reviews = Updates. :D**  
><strong>No Reviews = A sad little girl. D;<br>**  
>When I woke up the next morning, I noticed that I was in the exact same position that I fell asleep in. Although, one thing was different. I was all alone. Bright sunlight shone through my open window, and a soft breeze sent shivers down my arms. <em>Where'd Tod go? <em>I asked myself, getting up and grabbing a thin blanket from my bed. I wrapped it around myself for warmth and stalked off to the washroom.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I dragged my tired and still aching body down the stairs and to the kitchen.

Tod was sitting at my table, eating lucky charms. "You know, you don't live here, right?" I asked, quietly laughing. He quickly spun around, as if my voice had startled him.

"Oh, hey Kay. It's about time you woke up." Tod joked, pointing to the clock. "It's after noon."

"Shut up." I joked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're not my mother!" I cried out, laughing hysterically.

Tod joined my laughter "How do you know?"

"Oh God. Please tell me you're not implying that you're a woman. And a dead one at that." I sighed, sitting down beside him.

"Hey, that statement would be half right." He joked, pushing the cereal box towards me. He stood up and brought me a clean bowl and some cold milk. I smiled to him in thanks.

As soon as we finished eating, I washed the bowls and put away the milk. Then I heard the doorbell ring. I ignored it, wondering who would be visiting this early.

"Are you getting that?" Tod asked from behind me.

"No. It's probably some sales person or something." When the second ring sounded throughout the house, it was a little hard to ignore.

"Stay here." I said annoyed, walking towards the front of the house. I opened the door and immediately regretted it. Nash stood there, looking a little impatient. When he heard the door open, his expression changed to apologetic. I had the urge to slam the door in his face, but decided he should at least have the chance to explain.

"Can I come in?" He asked, and I moved aside, closing the door behind him.

When he was in the house, I turned to him, suddenly remembering Tod was in the kitchen.

"Hang on..." I said, rushing through the hallway. When I found Tod I hurried him out of view, telling him not to let Nash see him. He nodded, suddenly disappearing as I rushed back to the door. "Sorry..." I said not so apologetically.

"Kaylee..." He paused. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked as he got a better look at my face. He stepped forward and placed his hand on my cheek. I flinched, taking a step back.

"None of your business..." I said, not wanting to talk about it

He let it slide, but continued looking at me like I was an alien. "You never let me explain..." He said quietly.

"I didn't think there was anything _to_explain." I said, lacing my voice with anger.

"I never kissed her, she kissed me!"

"How many times are you going to use that excuse before it gets old? Oh wait..." I said, pretending to be thinking. "It already has!"

"Kaylee, I swear! She was all over me, I tried to push her away!"

"Liars go to hell, you know. You don't need to be dishonest though. You already have a free pass." I said narrow eyed. Gosh, I felt like a child. How lame could I get?

Tod laughed from beside me, and I momentarily freaked out before realizing Nash couldn't see or hear him. "Good one," He said still chuckling.

"You know what she's like! Why don't you believe me?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

"I might have. That is, if you weren't clearly _kissing her back."_

"I was not..."

I cut him off, "And you were enjoying it too. It was so obvious! When you two pulled away, your eyes were swirling like mad. Don't even try to lie to me."

"Kaylee, I can prove to you that I don't like Sabine as anything more than a friend."

Oh yeah? How…?" I asked, agitated.

He hesitated. "I... I'll stop seeing her... I don't know, I'll find a way to prove it."

"Yeah, like that worked so well last time. Just look where we ended up. How many chances do I need to give you, Nash? You've had three already, and in my opinion... That's three too many." I said, walking back to the front door.

"Don't do this, Kay..." He said, sadly.

"Nash, I think you should go." I said, opening the door. He reluctantly left, dramatically sighing when he got outside. I shut the door a little harder than I meant to, leaning against it for support. Tod appeared in front of me.

"You okay?" He asked, gently taking my arm and leading me to the couch.

"I guess so… It's just, I don't know if I should believe him or not. He was clearly kissing her back, but I also don't know the full story." I said, sitting down.

"Everything happens for a reason, right?"

"Yeah…" I said uncertainly.

"Trust me, Kay. Don't worry about it too much. If things were meant to be, then they'll work themselves out."

I turned to him surprised. "Why are you so damn wise all of a sudden?"

He laughed. "Don't underestimate me." He slid an arm around my waist and pulled me into a soft hug. I wrapped my arms lightly around him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks…" I whispered, closing my eyes.

"For what?" He asked, pulling away so he could look at me.

"Just… For everything, I guess. You always know what to say to make me feel better." I blushed, looking away.

He chuckled softly. "I'll always be here for you, Kay. You can count on that. I'm not very easy to get rid of." He stated matter-of-factly. I smiled, leaning in to hug him again. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing softly. In that moment, it was like everything snapped into place. For once, things simply felt right.

**Review please! I don't know what you think of the story if you dont tell me. You all might hate it for all I know. Take a couple of minutes to review, and I'll be glad to keep posting a new chapter every day. You guys play a huge part in how the chapters turn out! If you guys cant take the time to write a review, I'm not going to want to take the time to write a good chapter. Simple as that. SO REVIEW... :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N) You guys have no idea how sorry I am for the late update! I meant to add this chapter a few days ago, but I had the biggest case of writers block, and I've been having a lot of homework and this huge science project to do. Anyways, I'll stop with the excuses and let you read on. I think you've all waited long enough for this chapter. **

**Btw... Sorry it's a little short, and it's not the best either. I blame it on writers block, but I guess it's my fault. Ill try to update sometime tomorrow. So, read and review!  
><strong>  
>As soon as 4:30 came around, Tod and I hopped into my car and made our way to the hospital. Visiting hours were about to start, and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with my dad while I still had the chance. We drove in silence until something on the side of the road suddenly caught my attention, causing me to stomp on the breaks so hard that Tod and I practically went flying out of our seats.<p>

"Ouch!" Tod screamed, holding his head. "What the hell?"

All I could do was stare. Across the street, Nash, Sabine, and a too familiar sandy brown haired boy with piercing green eyes sat on the curb, laughing and talking. I sat there, frozen in shock and fear.

Shock, because I couldn't believe that the sandy haired boy was really sitting there, acting so natural as if the three of them had been best friends forever.

Fear, because of the scene that kept replaying in my head at the sight of the familiar face, reminding me of everything that'd happened the night before.

"Earth to Kaylee," Tod said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

Gladly pushing my thoughts aside, I turned to him slowly, tearing my gaze from the green eyed man. "I-It's him…" I said, my voice coming out as a choked whisper.

"Who…?" Tod began looking around, confused.

I pointed out the window to the three teenagers sitting on the curb. "H-him..." I muttered softly, hardly able to find my voice. My breath was coming out fast, and I felt like I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. My throat burned and my head was throbbing.

Tod's expression didn't change the slightest bit. He stared out the window in sheer confusion, not recognizing the boy sitting with Nash and Sabine. I didn't blame him. He didn't get a clear view of the man's face, whereas I knew that I would never be able to forget those icy green eyes and sandy brow hair. For a minute I just stared in shock.

"F-from the hospital… It's… It's him" I muttered in a dazed voice, I turned back to the window as I saw Tod's eyes widen in understanding. re-focusing my gaze on the boy, I once again stared in shock.

Suddenly, I heard the slam of a door and saw Tod walking around the front of the car, straight towards the three teenagers. He looked _pissed. _I wanted to shout "NO!", or tell him not to do anything stupid. I wanted to do _something. _Although all I could manage to do was stare out the window in fear, trying to slow my breath and calm myself.

I silently watched as Tod approached the curb. The three teenagers stood up when they noticed the reaper walking towards them, and Nash introduced him to the man. I quickly rolled down my window to get a clear idea of what they're saying.

"Hey Tod..." Nash said uncertainly. They never saw him get out of the car, and none of the three people took any notice to me. "This is Alex."

The sandy haired boy held a hand out to Tod and for a second, I couldn't believe this was the same person who'd done such terrible things to me just the night before. I quickly pushed those thoughts away as I saw what happened next.

"I don't care what his name is," Tod said angrily. Each of their faces turned to shock and confusion. Tod looked at the sandy haired guy – _Alex, apparently –_and stared at his still outstretched arm as if it were going to bite him. Then, he looked up and without hesitation, punched him right in the face. Alex's head swung backwards, and he stumbled at the impact. His hands instinctively flew to his face for protection as he looked towards the reaper.

Right then, it was as if something snapped inside me, and I was brought right back to reality. I realized that I couldn't just let this go on. I had to do something about it. I pushed the door open with strength that I didn't know existed in my still aching muscles, and stepped outside letting the cool breeze caress my face.

The four teenagers turned to look at me, and it was then that I realized how hard Tod actually hit Alex. Even from the distance, I could see the trail of blood trickling down from his nose and the anger seeping from his widened emerald eyes. He must have recognized me.

"What the hell?" Nash asked, angry and confused. His gaze flickered from Alex, to Tod, and finally to me. "What's going on here?" The question was directed at Tod.

"He did that to her!" He shouted, pointing to me. I stood a few feet away, not wanting to get too close to Alex. I stared at him in horror and fear. Nash turned to me, confusion shadowing his face and swirling in his eyes.

"Did what to her?" He asked, as if he didn't see anything wrong.

"All those bruises, scratches and cuts are from _him. _Tod said, his gaze flickering to Alex."

It took a second for Nash to understand what we were saying, and when he finally did, his eyes widened and he took a step back as if he'd been pushed. "Wait, what?" He asked, looking at Alex, who had a mischievous look on his face. He didn't even seem to care that he'd been caught. This annoyed me to a whole new extent, and apparently Tod felt the same because a few seconds later, he threw another punch landing on Alex's cheek. He stumbled back in surprise, his expression shortly changing to anger. When he regained his balance, he came lunging at Tod. It didn't really matter though, because his fist went right through the reaper's face. Tod crossed his arms over his chest, a victorious expression playing in his expression.

Alex finally turned back to us, his face laced with shock, surprise, and fear. He looked as if he'd just seen a ghost, which was probably exactly what he thought. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide. I was tempted to laugh at his expression, but knew it'd be totally inappropriate for the situation.

"Watch this," Tod said, turning to me. "Here's one of the fun things about being a reaper." Then he slowly turned to Alex with a mischievous glare. "Boo!" He shouted, actually making the scared teenager jump. Tod chuckled, continuing. "Ooooo… I'm a ghost and I've come to haunt you!" This time, I couldn't hold back my laughter as Alex stumbled a few steps backwards, then took off running down the street. The sight was actually pretty hilarious. Tod joined my laughter, whereas Nash and Sabine stood there shocked. "Guess he got what he deserved." Tod said, still chuckling.

"Sorry about scaring off your new friend," He added, turning to Nash. "But I've really got to get going." Then he turned to me. "Meet you at the hospital!" and he disappeared, leaving me alone with the two confused teenagers.

**Once again, REALLY sorry for the late update! But please review and I'll try to get the next chapter up sometime tomorrow. Oh, and I forgot to mention that there's an OC, Alex if you havn't figured it out. I'm probably not going to mention him a lot later on though. He was just a little idea of mine that I added to fill in the blanks of this fanfiction. Anyways, I'm just rambling now, so REVIEW PLEASE! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N) So, Here it is! The next chapter. Enjoy, all of you. And please review!**

Nash, Sabine and I stood there in an unbearably awkward silence.

"What the hell?" Sabine spat out, her voice seeming to echo through the streets.

Nash turned to me, and I knew what he was going to say long before the words left his mouth.

"Did Alex… really do all of that to you?" He sounded shocked.

"Uhmm… Y-yeah, kind of." I whispered innocently.

"How?" The question I hoped to avoid was now out in the open, waiting for an answer. The silence threatened to suffocate me if I didn't speak up.

"I… Uhmm… I'd rather not talk about it…" I muttered under my breath, hoping they'd heard me. "Besides, Tod's right. I should get going." I turned around and began to walk back to my car when I felt a strong hand rest on my shoulder.

"Kaylee… Are you going to be alright?" Nash asked. I spun around to look into his eyes. They were swirling with concern.

The question confused me at first. "Yeah, I guess so…" I responded after a few moments hesitation. "What's done is done, right? Nothing I can do to change it now. Do I really look that bad?"

"That's not what I meant." Nash said, taking a step closer. "What I mean is… Never mind. You have to go right? Why are you going to the hospital?" Another question I didn't want to answer.

"Once again… I'd rather not talk about it." I said, shooting a sorry glance his way. Then, I turned around and ran to my car. It was already 6, meaning I was late for visiting hours and Tod was probably waiting for me at the hospital.

As soon as I drove into the parking lot, I proved myself right when I saw Tod leaning against the building looking annoyed. I stopped the car and walked over to him.

"What's got your panties in a knot?" I asked, laughing.

"I got kicked out of the hospital." He said, fake pouting. "So I decided to come wait out here. I didn't know it'd take you half an hour to get here."

"First of all… How the hell did you get kicked out of the hospital? Second… Nash was playing 20 questions with me. Not my fault" I responded innocently.

"I got pissed at this guy in the cafeteria." He said, rolling his eyes. "Long story short, I ended up throwing a coffee in his face. He kicked me out. Damn bastard. Whatever, let's just go." I shook my head in disapproval, trying to hold back my laughter.

As soon as we got in, we quickly made our way up to my father's room.

"Hey dad… Are you doing okay?" I asked as I pushed open the door. He looked over, giving me a small smile.

"Hey Kay. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

I sat in the empty arm chair by his bed. "Where's Alec?"

"I told him to go to work. He was starting to piss me off, honestly. What's the point of being here if you're just going to sit there and read?" Tod and I laughed. My dad sat up, bending over the bed to get a closer look at me. At first I was confused, but I quickly turned my head away.

"Kaylee…" My dad scolded, making me look at him. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing." I defended. His eyes followed mine, narrowing more with each passing second. I was surprised he even noticed the cuts and bruises scattered across my face. I spent almost half an hour this morning covering them all up with make-up.

"And the truth…?" He asked, now glaring at me.

"Uhmm, I got into a fight when I was on my way home the other night." It wasn't a _complete _lie. In theory.

"God, Kay. You've got to be more careful." He mumbled as if I weren't supposed to hear.

"You're the one in the hospital…" I whispered, walking over to the bed.

"Don't worry, Kay. Things are going to be alright." He assured me, taking my hand into his.

"People have been telling me the same thing all day, and I didn't believe any of them for a second." I said, hot tears prickling in my eyes.

"I know it's hard, sweetheart. But trust me. We'll get through this."

As hard as I tried to hold back my tears, I couldn't stop them from dripping down my cheeks and onto the thin white bed sheets. I brought my father's hand to my heart, cupping it with my own.

"I'm so sorry, dad." I sobbed, squeezing his fingers between mine.

"I'll leave you two alone…" I heard Tod mutter, but barely paid any attention to him.

"Come on," My father said, patting the bed beside him and scooting over to make more room for me. I lay comfortably beside him, resting my head on his arm. "Don't think that this is your fault, Kaylee. There's nothing that either of us can do about it. It might be hard for a while, but trust me. You'll get through this." I sobbed harder, burying my face into the sheets.

"It's not fair though!" I screamed into the white pillow. "It's just not fair." I choked out, looking back up at my dad. I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.

"I know, hon. I know." He said, rubbing comforting circles into my back. We lay there for a little while before Tod showed up again.

"Is all the mushy gushy stuff over yet?" He asked, holding a steaming drink in his hand. I figured it was coffee. How he managed to get it though, I had no idea. He was supposed to be kicked out, after all. I sat up, sniffling away the last of my tears.

"All done," I said, slowly getting up. "Tod…"

"Yeah?" He asked, tilting his head.

"You said tonight, right?" I asked, not moving from the side of the bed.

He thought about it for a second. "Uhmm, yeah. How come?"

"Well, you never told me exactly what time… So I was just wondering…" I didn't need to finish the sentence. It was obvious by the look on his face that he understood what I meant.

"Around 9:30..." He said sorrowfully.

I felt my eyes widen and fresh tears pool up. It was still about 6:30. "That's in three hours though!" I shouted, unable to believe that in a mere three hours, my dad would be gone. And this time it's for good.

**I know, I know. This chapter kinda sucks. Anyways, I'm going to bed now, so check back sometime tomorrow (Most likely at night) for the next chapter. :)  
>And don't forget to review!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N) Hey guys, how's it going? Thanks to all of you who've reviewd throughout the whole fanfiction. It really means a lot to me! :D**

And sorry about the semi-late update. I've been writing a different fanfiction for the _Vampire Kisses series_on my other account, (XxBeauty-Of-EternityxX)

Anyways, now that I decided to continue my other fanfiction, im going to have to balance between the two stories... So I'm going try to update this particular story at least once a week now. Sorry for the inconvenience.

READ AND REVIEW? :)

_  
>Three hours... <em>

My own words replayed in my mind. I stood there, feeling as if my feet were glued to the floor.

_This cannot be happening. _I thought to myself, the seriousness of the situation hitting me. It felt like reality was weighing me down. At first, this whole thing just felt like a dream. Like none of it was real, and i would soon wake up to the comfort of my soft cozy bed, and a world full of perfectness. No. Right now it felt like I was living in a nightmare. A nightmare I would be stuck in for the rest of my life.

_In three hours, _I thought coldly to myself, _my dad's going to be gone.  
><em>  
>My tears began to fall slowly down my cheeks, and my legs suddenly felt like they would collapse under my weight. It felt like my world was slowly falling apart right in front of my eyes.<p>

Suddenly, I felt someone envelop me in a tight embrace. They wrapped their arms softly around my body and pulled me close. I didn't protest, or attempt to pull myself away; I didn't even have to look up to realize who it was. Instead, I rested my head against his chest and cried.

"Tod," I choked out, hugging him tightly. My hands clung to the thin fabric of his shirt as I tried to pull him closer to me.

"Shhh, Kaylee. It's alright." He whispered in a soothing voice, leading me over to the arm chair. He tried to get me to sit down although I hung on to him desperately, not ready to let go just yet. I needed his comfort, his closeness. He made me feel like things were alright; like we could get through this together. And that's exactly what I needed right now.

He finally gave up, sitting down on the armchair himself and pulling me on to his lap. He continued whispering sweet nothings into my ear until I felt myself gradually beginning to calm down, until the point came that we were just sitting there, me clinging to him like a scared child, and him hugging me as if he wouldn't dare let go.

_Influence_

The word popped into my mind so suddenly that I barely had time to think about it before I slowly pulled away from Tod. I kept my arms wrapped around his neck, and we were still barely inches apart, but I leaned back just far enough to stare into his slowly swirling warm blue eyes. Then, I stated in an almost dazed voice,

"You used influence on me."

His brows furrowed in confusion, but his expression turned to surprise when he realized what I meant.

"Uhmm… Yeah, I guess I did." He said, seemingly lost.

I sniffled, wiping at my cheeks with the back of my hand. "I didn't even know you could…" I began in a wondering voice.

"Me neither…" He responded in the same tone. "I didn't even realize…"

"But, I guess you _are_still a bean sidhe, after all… So, it shouldn't be that surprising."

Tod suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry," He said, looking away from my eyes. "I know how much you hate it when Nash uses his influence on you."

I laughed. "I only hate it when he… Uhmm…" I said, choosing my words carefully. "Tries to make me do things… That I don't want to do."

Suddenly, I heard a cough from behind me and I immediately hopped off of Tod's lap. I completely forgot my dad was in the same room. I could feel my cheeks becoming flushed as blood rushed into them.

Tod stood, walking over to stand beside me.

"Sorry Mr. Cavanaugh." He said in a small voice, as if he were trying to hold back a laugh. "I was just trying to help."

The way he was glaring at us made me realize that if he could walk at this moment, he'd probably be punching the crap out of Tod right now. I smiled as I walked over to the bed. "Oh, dad." I said dramatically, sitting on the edge of the white mattress. "You're so over protective."

"That's what parents are for." He responded, shaking his head.

"Kaylee, visiting hours end early today," Tod started, walking over to the bed. "We're going to have to leave for a bit. We can come back later though. Well, as long as the nurses don't see us." He gave a mischievous grin and turned around, facing the door. "We can come back at eight. That's in an hour."

I reluctantly agreed, and after saying goodbye to my dad and promising to come back, we left.

Tod and I got into my car, but just before I put the key into the ignition, I turned to face him.

"So, you can still use your influence?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I guess so. I honestly didn't know until now. Are you sure I was using it though?" He asked, looking at me in confusion.

"Almost positive… But I'm not really sure. I mean, it felt different from the times Nash would use it on me." My voice turned to wonder as I looked out my window.

"Damn that's awesome. I _hope _I can still use it. I've never really tried before." He said enthusiastically, drumming his hands against the seat.

"Well, there's only one way to find out…" I started, looking back at the reaper.

"What do you mean?" He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"I mean… The only way you'll know if you can still use it is to experiment, right?" I asked in a light voice.

"Uhmm… I guess so." He said uncertainly.

"Well, then try it on me!" I ordered, becoming slightly excited. I didn't know why I wanted him to use his influence on me. I hated when Nash did…

"Are you sure…?" He asked after a short pause.

"Yes, I'm sure. Influence me to do something."

"Like what?"

I thought about it for a bit, looking around the car as if that'd help me come up with an idea. Suddenly, my head snapped back to Tod. "I know…" I started, faintly smiling. "Make me want to kiss you."

His eye brows shot up and his eyes widened. Well, he definitely wasn't expecting that. His shock didn't stop him from coming up with one of his annoying witty comments though.

"You mean you don't already want to kiss me?" He asked, faking emotional pain.

"Oh come on," I said, holding back a laugh. "Do you want to find out if you still have your influence or not?"

He smiled, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Well," he paused, facing forward. "I guess I do…"

"Then do it!" I said, a little too excitedly.

"Oh, I get it now." Tod started with a playful smile, looking into my eyes. "You're using this as an excuse to kiss me."

"Oh lord. Why are you so full of yourself?" I asked, laughing and bringing my hand up. He grabbed it before I could push him.

"Not happening." He stated in a bold voice.

"Fine," I said, looking down at our entwined fingers and smiling. "Don't make me kiss you… Just make me _want _to kiss you." Tod still looked a little confused, so I went on. "Make me want to kiss you, but stop it before we actually do anything. That way we both win. You get to see if you have your influence, and I get to _almost _kiss you." I said in a joking voice.

Tod smiled. "Works for me."

_**Okay guys, I have one question...  
>Influence has to be done with words, right? Like, it's in the bean sidhe's voice, not the mind? I need to know to write the next chapter, so please feel free to let me know, otherwise I can't update.<br>**_**_  
><em>Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter, because I love writing cute Taylee scenes! Anyways, I'm actually going to start the next chapter right now. I'm really excited to see how it turns out, and I already have some ideas in my mind. Hopefully it'll be up by tomorrow. So please review, and answer my question! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N) Hey guys. Just for a heads up, this chapter kind of sucks. I had a hard time getting the feelings into words with the whole influence thing.**

**I just wanted to say thanks so much for all of the reviews! I appreciate all those who answered my question. It really helped in the writing of this chapter.**

**Anyways, Read and review! :) **

"Come on, what could go wrong?" I asked, noticing that he was looking at me wearily.

"So many things," I heard him mutter under his breath before he finally turned to face me. "Fine, Kaylee." He hesitated a moment, then his face went still and soft; as if he were trying to calm himself. "Do you want to kiss me?" His voice sent warm shivers down my spine, and I found myself being drawn into him. It was like Tod was in my mind, controlling everything I thought and said.

There was a short pause as we both sat there, staring into each other's eyes.

"Yes," I said in a slightly dazed voice, breaking the silence. I had the strangest feeling; As if I weren't talking, but words were coming out of my mouth. Like I wasn't thinking straight, but couldn't stop myself from speaking. My whole body tingled with anticipation.

I sat there, lost in his crystal blue eyes, when suddenly I heard him speak again.

"Kiss me," I could tell by his voice that he was nervous. But there was really only one solid thought going through my mind.

_Kiss him. _

My body felt warm and tingly all over, and I found it hard to resist the command. Without much hesitation, I pulled my gaze from Tod and unbuckled my seat belt. I then proceeded to climb over my seat and onto his lap.

I surprised even myself by my actions. I knew deep down that something was wrong. That I would never really do anything like this. Yet as hard as I tried, I couldn't stop myself; and soon enough I found myself being drawn into him, my whole body being taken over by the comforting warmness of Tod.

He looked startled and even a little shocked, like he couldn't believe it either. His expression caused me to give a small playful smile as I began to lean into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. It was like I was under a spell; like somebody was controlling my movements as if I were a puppet.

"Kaylee," Tod choked out just before our lips met. "Stop."

I loved being close to Tod. He had this way of making me feel safe. I kept telling myself over and over that it was wrong for me to feel this way, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to stop, but something in his voice made me slowly pull away from him. His words were coated in desperation.

"Tod…" I started, feeling the warm tingly feeling escape my body. I was myself again, and I couldn't be happier. I looked into his eyes, which were swirling more than ever. Just the fact that they _were _swirling is huge when you're dealing with Tod. He was always so good at masking his emotions. "I'm sorry…" I whispered, letting out an irritated sigh and leaning forward to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Kaylee, there's nothing for you to be sorry about. It's my fault. I shouldn't have made you do that." His voice was soft and soothing, even though he was no longer using his influence.

"No, Tod." I said, lifting my head and frowning. "It's not your fault. I asked you to." I paused, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. "At least we know for sure that you can still influence people." I gave a weak, defeated smile and plopped back down on my own seat. "But don't ever do it again." I warned, starting the car.

It was already starting to get dark, and there was only about 45 minutes left until we had to be back at the hospital. I figured there was no point in going home now, so instead I drove us to a nearby coffee shop. We sat there for a while, waiting for time to pass.

After a while, I noticed neither of us was even attempting to make conversation. We could barely even look each other in the eyes. I sat in silence, trying to decipher my jumbled up feelings. I replayed the scene over and over in my head, overthinking each and every thought that crossed my mind.

The truth was, even when Tod stopped using his influence on me; I didn't want to pull away from him. I found comfort in his warmth. Every time he held my hand, my heart would do flip flops in my chest. Being so close to him made butterflies dance around in my stomach. Whenever I looked into his eyes, warm shivers would crawl up my spine. I _wanted _to kiss him. Even without the influence.

My feelings seemed obvious, even to me; but I refused to believe them. I didn't want to admit that what Tod and I had could be anything more than friendship. _He's Nash's brother. _I told myself multiple times. _He's dead, for God's sake. _I tried to get myself to believe that we were nothing more than friends; and that my mind was just playing sick games with me. I couldn't like Tod as anything more, could I? We were from two different worlds. I know that sounds cliché, but it's true. I'm alive, and he's dead. It's as simple as that. In conclusion, there's no possible way that Tod and I could have anything more than friendship.

I left my thoughts at that as I checked my cell phone and realized that it was already time to go. I stood up, tossing my empty cup into a nearby trash can and walked over to Tod.

"Alright… Let's go." I said in a soft voice, secretly dreading what was about to come.

**Blah, blah, blah. Like i said, it's not the best chapter. But I still hope you all liked it. Once again, I was surprised by how many reviews I got in a single day! I got so excited when I saw that I had 20 already! So thanks a lot, guys. I really appreciate it. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N) Hey guys. This is the longest chapter yet, and also probably my favourite so far. Or, one of my favourites, at least. So I hope you all enjoy it!  
>(2,000 words FTW!)<br>Read and Review. :)  
><strong>  
>"Want me to blink us in?" Tod asked as we arrived at the hospital. It was the first time either of us had spoken throughout the whole car ride.<p>

"No way! That takes all the fun out of sneaking in." I said matter-of-factly.

Tod chuckled. "Kaylee, we would be invisible. It doesn't get much sneakier than that."

"I guess… But, I'd still rather not." I responded uncertainly, getting out of the car.

"Oh fine. We'll do it your way." Tod said with fake annoyance.

I leaned against the hood, waiting for him to get out. I jumped when he appeared beside me.

"God. You've got to stop that. Can't you just walk around like a _normal _person?"

"In case you haven't realized, I'm far from normal. For one thing, I'm dead; and I don't see the point in walking when I can do things so much faster like this…" He paused, disappearing a few seconds later. I stood there, watching the now empty place where Tod had stood. "Over here," he whispered from the other side of me. I spun around so fast that I almost lost my balance.

I rolled my eyes at the reaper. "Alright, you do that. I'll be sneaking in the way _normal _people do."

"Kaylee," Tod said, reappearing on my other side. I sighed, partly from frustration, partly from amusement. "You're not normal either. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know that." I said sharply, turning from him and walking towards the hospital.

"Good." Tod said, appearing beside me and following me to towards the building. "Just thought I should lay that out there."

"You can be really annoying sometimes."

"Just another thing you love about me." He teased sarcastically.

The statement made me uncomfortable. "You don't have to come with me, you know. I told you I can meet you in the room if you want to do your freaky magic tricks."

"Oh come on, Kaylee. You know magic tricks are just illusions." He said jokingly.

I gasped. "Are you saying that magicians are fakes?" I asked, pretending to be shocked. "What, next you're going to tell me that Santa Clause isn't real?"

Tod burst out laughing, and I stopped walking to glare at him. "You're kidding, right?" He asked when he saw my serious expression.

"No way! Of course Santa Clause is real." I smiled, walking past him. "I'm joking!" I added when he stayed where he was.

"Good." He said laughing. We walked side by side to the edge of the building, reaching a semi-dark alley that led to the back door of the hospital. I hesitated a moment before taking a step inside; flashes of the night before once again replaying in my mind. It was like reliving that night all over again. Everything was the same. The dark parking lot, the shadows dancing across the pavement, the night sky and cool wind whipping my hair around. It was déjà vu to the extreme.

I stayed near Tod the whole time, secretly glad he decided to stay with me. The farther down the alley we walked, the darker it seemed to get. The dim lighting of street lamps began to fade, leaving us with barely enough light to see where we were going.

I felt Tod take my hand and I automatically looped my fingers around his; as if by instinct. I squeezed a little harder than I necessarily needed to, but it didn't seem like he minded. I was glad for the warmth and comfort he brought. Every time I saw a shadow move or heard leaves rustling, my heart would start to beat faster and harder.

Tod must have noticed how jumpy I was, because after a while of walking in silence, he stopped, and when I turned around he whispered softly to me, "Kaylee, there's nothing to be afraid of. You know I'd never let anything bad happen to you…" He paused for a second. "Well, with an exception for what happened last night. Because honestly, I had no idea what was going on until I saw you outside with that creep… And I swear. I'm never going to let anything like that happen to you again." He sounded sorry, as if he blamed himself for what happened to me.

Tod took a step forward, closing the space between us and bringing his hand up to rest it lightly on my cheek. I was sure my face still held faint bruises, but I barely even took notice to the fact.

"Kaylee, I'm so sorry. I mean, if I'd come out sooner, none of this would have happened." He closed his eyes for a second, than he continued, "If I would have just stayed with you, things would have been different."

I was astonished at how he turned it around to make it sound like his fault. "Tod…" I began, unsure of what to say. "You can't possibly think that it was your fault. You're probably the last person I'd blame; if anything, I should be thanking you. Things would have ended a lot worse than they did if you hadn't come along."

He gave a small smile, as if what I said meant a lot to him. Then, he dropped the hand that was on my cheek and pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping both arms firmly around me. I rested my head on his chest, hugging him back and closing my eyes. I didn't even mind that he'd let go of my hand, because this closeness was so much better. As he rested his chin on the top of my head, I couldn't help but think about how I wished this moment would never end. His warmth seeped through my clothes, warming me from the inside out as butterflies fluttered in my stomach, making me feel like a little girl again.

Eventually, we pulled away from each other, and my body instantly missed the warmth and comfort. I looked up at Tod, smiling as he held out his hand. I took it without hesitation and we made our way down the rest of the darkened alley. I felt like all my fears had vanished, leaving a warm, fuzzy feeling in their place. All that I was aware of now was the heat of Tod's hand in mine.

Before we knew it, we were at the back door, sneaking inside and avoiding all the nurses. Minutes later, we found ourselves in my father's room, where he happened to be sleeping peacefully in the plain white hospital bed. It was already 8:30, which meant we only had an hour left.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to go curl up beside him on the bed and burst into tears. It took all my strength and will power to keep my emotions in check for the moment. "Should we wake him?" I asked Tod from across the room.

"If you want to, I mean, you want to spend his last hour with him, right?" He asked sadly.

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. I can't say that it was a good idea, but at the moment it seemed like the best option.

"Tod…" I started, unsure not only of how to say it, but also of how he'd take it. "I can't do this…" I stated in barely a whisper as hot tears formed in my eyes, despite my attempt at staying strong. As soon as Tod saw my face, he walked over and took my hand.

"Kaylee, it's going to be alright." He said in a soft assuring tone, trying to calm me down.

"But it's not." I said matter-of-factly. "My dad's going to be gone in less than an hour. I can't deal with that, Tod. He's all I have left. My mom's already gone. Sure, uncle Brendan's always here, but I don't want to go back to live with him and Sophie."

"Kaylee…" he groaned sadly. "Please don't do this. You have no idea how bad I already feel about having to do this to your dad."

"don't then…" I said, wiping unshed tears from my eyes. Tod looked at me in confusion.

"I have to, though." I cut him off before he could finish.

"I mean, don't take my dad in particular." I was practically begging now, squeezing his hand tightly in mine.

"But, Kaylee…" He stopped, and I could tell by the look on his face that he finally understood what I meant. "Kaylee, no." He said firmly.

"But Tod... Please?" I begged him to understand. "I'm sacrificing myself. I don't want it to be like this, but it's too hard for me! Don't you understand? At least you can still see your family. For me it'll be different. My mom's long gone, my dad's dying and I have nobody else to turn to. Won't it just be easier if it all ends?" I had no idea what I was talking about. All I knew was that I would give anything to have my father live. As selfish as my reasons may seem, I thought it would be the best way.

Tod stood there, shocked. "No way. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do this. Sure, it'll be hard for a while, but trust me, things will get better. You're pretty much begging to die right now."

"Well, don't think of it like that! Tell me then, how did _you _die, Tod?" The question had been on my mind for a long time, and I'd been hoping to have it answered.

"I… I can't tell you right now."

"What, so now we're keeping secrets?" Sure, I was a little hurt that he wouldn't tell me, but it was mostly just my desperation talking.

"No, Kaylee. It's not like that. Please, just trust me."

"Why won't you tell me then?" I asked in a softer voice, trying to calm myself down.

"I… Uhmm… Fine. Sit down." He agreed, motioning to the arm chair.

He hesitated a moment before speaking, "I was driving home with Nash one night, and some drunk driver was on the wrong side of the road. He hit us head on, and practically crushed the both of us." He paused, looking around the room. "I guess we can say that I was a little luckier than Nash. Because it turns out that he smashed his head against the dashboard, and he died that night."

My eyes widened and my eyebrows rose. "What… That doesn't make any sense though…"

"Just wait," Tod said, continuing the story. "I met Levi that night as well. He appeared to come reap Nash, and he explained to me what he was and all that crap. So, I begged him to take me instead." He looked sadly at the ground, waiting for my response.

"And he did…" I said, more to myself than to him.

"Yes." Tod said, looking back up at me. "That night, Levi exchanged my death for Nash's."

All words were lost in my mouth as I tried to comprehend exactly what Tod had just explained.

Nash was supposed to be dead. Not Tod. Tod gave up his life to save Nash, which was exactly what I was planning to do with my father.

"Do you ever regret it?" I asked slowly, studying Tod's face.

"Never." He insisted almost immediately. "I never wanted Nash to know, because then he would blame himself for my death… Even though he kind of already does."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Because Nash was the reason I was driving so late. I had to pick him up from a party, because he was drunk and his friends ditched him."

I bit my lip, going through each and every detail in my mind, trying to piece them together.

"And that's why you don't want me to sacrifice myself for my dad's life?" I asked confused.

"Not exactly. But Kaylee, why do you want to switch death dates with him, if he's ready to go now? He'll be heartbroken if he wakes up to find out that we took you instead of him."

"That can't be the only reason though. I mean, if it's my choice…"

He paused. "No, I guess your right. There's another reason I don't want to take you instead of him…" He looked around the room, clearly fighting a battle within himself.

"What is it?" I asked in a small voice, taking his hand into mine and looping our fingers together.

"Kaylee…" He paused, looking down at me with those crystal blue eyes. "I'm in love with you."

**D'awww. Finally, he admits to it. And now you see why this is one of my favourite chapters...  
>Anyways, I hope you all liked it, and please review. I want to know what you think about how I wrote this one. Until next time,<strong>

**_-Beauty Of Eternity-_**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N) Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for keeping you all waiting... But I havn't been able to find much time to write. I was so glad to hear that you all liked the last chapter, though. And I'm hoping you'll like this one too. )  
>Read and Review. :)<strong>

My eyes widened slightly as I sat there, frozen in shock. _Did he just say he _loved _me? _I silently asked myself, obviously knowing the answer.

I let my hand slip numbly from Tod's grip to rest on my lap. He looked down at the floor as his arm fell limply to his side. I stared up at him with innocently wide eyes, unable to form any words in my now dry mouth. He stood there, with a nervous and uncertain expression on his face, obviously waiting for an answer.

An answer that I couldn't give him.

Sure, I liked Tod. I liked him a _lot, _and what I felt towards him was definitely stronger than friendship. But even with that in mind, I couldn't bring myself to say that I _loved _him. I couldn't decide what the exact reason was, but at the moment I just couldn't make myself say the words.

Tod was getting visibly more impatient and fidgety by the moment, no doubt waiting for my response. Since words refused to come out of my mouth, I let my body react without thinking. Finally finding the courage to do _something, _I stood up from the chair, balancing myself on legs that suddenly felt like noodles. I got on my tip toes…

And I kissed Tod.

It was a soft, sweet kiss. The kind that makes you go weak in the knees and forget about every thought that was on your mind; which was exactly what happened. The only thing going through my head was how close we were, and how warm Tod felt against me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I gently clasped my hands behind his neck, pulling him closer to me. The feeling of his lips against mine was something I wished would never end; but unfortunately, we soon pulled away from each other, slightly out of breath.

With nothing in my mind but Tod, I said the words I thought I'd never find the courage to say.

"Tod… I love you."

He smiled, sighing in relief. Then, He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms lightly around my body and planting a soft kiss on my forehead. I rested my head on his chest, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted.

It may have taken a while to get me to open up, but finally, I'd admitted my feelings for Tod. And it was unbelievable how glad I was that he felt the same way.

And just then, a small redheaded child appeared beside us out of thin air, startling me away from Tod's hold. He looked around, confused; and when he saw Levi, his eyes practically popped out of his head. The small reaper pointed to an imaginary watch on his wrist as he looked at Tod disapprovingly.

"You're late... He," Levi paused, pointing to my sleeping father on the bed, "Should be dead by now."

This time it was _my _eyes that widened. I frantically looked up at the clock mounted on the wall and read the time. Shit. It was just before 10:00. Honestly, I had no idea how time had passed so fast, when it felt like it had barely been half an hour. And now, Levi was pissed.

"Sorry, there was a little… Delay." He looked over at me and gave a small smile in which I returned.

"What kind of delay?" Levi asked, sounding amused.

Not wanting to share any bit of my personal life with the reaper, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. Boy, was that a mistake.

"Oh, I offered to switch my date for my dad's," I said innocently, nodding towards the hospital bed.

He gave a small, mischievous smile. "Well, that can easily be arranged."

"Levi," Tod growled angrily. "Don't you dare."

"You can't tell me what to do." He said in a mocking voice, and for once he actually sounded like the little child that he was. And that was when I realized what a huge mistake I'd made. I pretty much just asked the most powerful reaper to kill me; and apparently, he'd be glad to.

Tod walked protectively towards me, never looking away from the small redhead that seemed much less threatening than he actually was. "Don't." He warned.

"What can you do to stop me? The girl wants to switch her date so her father will live. It's _her _choice." They both looked at me. Levi had a look of sheer determination, whereas Tod had a pleading expression. Now that the question was completely on me, it was an excruciatingly hard choice. Let my father live? Or let him go peacefully, and stay here until my date pops up on the list? Apparently I took too long to answer, because Levi got impatient and made up my mind for me.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, looking around. "Now what is there in here that I can use to kill you?" He asked with a sly grin.

"Levi," Tod begged. "Please don't do this… Kaylee," He said, turning to me. "You don't want this, do you?" He asked desperately, clinging to my hand. I'd never seen him looking so scared before.

"I-I don't know, Tod…" I stuttered, trying to piece my own thoughts together. "This is what I _wanted, _but I don't know now." His eyes shined with unshed tears.

The whole time, Levi was still looking around, trying to find something, _any_thing he could use to kill me. Was that what I wanted? I kept thinking about it, but the answer refused to come to me.

Levi groaned in annoyance, and disappeared a few seconds later. Tod sighed in relief as soon as the reaper was gone. But he surprised us both when he appeared not seconds later, carrying a broken stop sign. I was just plain confused, although Tod seemed to get it right away, because as soon as the reaper appeared, his eyes narrowed. "You sick bastard." He muttered, and I couldn't believe he'd talked to Levi like that. Although all that the small redhead did was give a small grin directed towards Tod.

"You'll thank me later. Now, how about we make this moment… Memorable, shall I say? Tod, this should bring back some memories. And this also serves as your punishment for missing the reaping." He said confidently before shoving the sharp metal end of the sign straight through my chest.

My eyes widened in fear and I let out a small gasp of pain as blood puddled around the thick metal bar. It was a feeling worse than anything I'd ever experienced. The sharp sting of the metal tearing through my flesh echoed through my body. Tod caught me before I fell to the ground, and the last thing I saw was his face, dripping with fresh tears. Then, a sort of thick grey fog covered every surface in the room until the only thing I could see was blackness.

I was going to die.

THE END!

**JOKING, JOKING! I would never end a fanfiction like that. That would just be cruel beyond belief.**

**Okay, so I know this is kind of out of character for Levi... but trust me, he isn't doing this to be a bastard. Maybe to mess with Tod a little... But I don't want to give away too much. So you'll have to find out what I mean in the next chapter. Review please? :)**

**_-BeautyOfEternity-_**


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